Arkady Volozh, one of the founders of the Russian Internet company "Yandex", criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This statement was made shortly after his positions on the Kremlin sparked public outrage.
In a letter to Medusa about his position on the war, Volozh said that the founders of Yandex believed they were building a new Russia: "open, progressive, integrated into the global economy."
Arkady Volozh claims that he has not lived in Russia since 2014, but admits his partial responsibility for the country's actions.
"There were many reasons why I had to keep silent. You can argue about the timeliness of my statement, but not about its essence. I am against the war," Volozh wrote.
Volozh described himself as an "Israeli tech entrepreneur of Kazakh origin" on his personal website, which drew criticism from Russian media and Telegram for apparently downplaying his ties to Russia.
Arkady Volozh created Yandex in Russia, which became the largest technology company in the country, and eventually listed it on the US Nasdaq stock exchange in 2011.
After his inclusion in the EU sanctions list in June 2022, Volozh resigned as CEO and from the board of directors.
